What Santa Left Behind
by India Rose Ghersi
Summary: A little bit AU Christmas fic. Anya & Tara lost their lives in the final battle against the First Evil and Willow and Xander are finding their first Christmas without them to be pretty tough. But, Buffy and Dawn want to make it the happiest they can and with a few surprise visits and a secret plan from Faith and Buffy, their Christmas might just be the best one yet. One Shot.


"So, what do you want to do?" Buffy asked, looking over at her friends.

Both Xander and Willow were pretty upset at having lost Tara and Anya in the final battle against the first evil. This year would be hard, being their first without them.

"I don't know Buff." Willow said, her eyes glistening with the tears she was fighting hard to keep back. "I.. we," she corrected, looking sympathetically over at Xander, who sat beside her on the lounge. "We know its supposed to be happy,"

"but we're kinda having a hard time with that right now." Xander finished, his voice emotionless.

Dawn nodded, her eyes saddened by the equally devastated looks in her friends eyes. "We can't expect you to be all smiles." She said understandingly.

"Not with everything that's happened." Buffy said, leaning forward and placing her clasped hands on her knees. "We know it'll be hard, but Dawnie and I, we want to make it the best we can ok?" She said uncertainly, glancing from the sad Willow and Xander, back to her ever optimistic sister.

"Well, as good as we can." Dawn offered helpfully and Buffy nodded in agreement.

* * *

The phone rang suddenly and Buffy rose to answer it. "I'll grab it." She said, "I've been expecting a call."

"Hey B." Faith said. Buffy smiled. She would have known that voice anywhere.

"I don't know what to do Faith." Buffy whispered sadly. "They're so… not good and nothing seems to cheer them up."

"You just gotta hang tight B." Faith encouraged. Buffy could almost see her smiling on the other end of the phone.

"Cause what we got planned will wipe those frowns off their faces soon enough, won't it?"

"Yeah." Buffy said, starting to smile herself. "Faith you're the best."

"Anything for my girl B."

"And this is why I love you." Buffy said. "I'll see you soon."

No one knew about it yet, they planned to announce it when Faith got there for Christmas, but Buffy and Faith had been secretly dating since the end of the final battle. It hadn't seemed the right moment, when Xander and Willow had only just lost the ones they'd loved. It had felt, to both of them, a little like teasing, and so they'd both agreed to wait.

* * *

"Surprise." Giles smiled weakly, a half hearted attempt to cheer Willow and Xander up. Seeing their beloved mentor, they both got up and hugged him. Both liked hugs more than they had done nowadays.

"It's good to see you Giles." Willow said, trying her best to smile.

"Yeah. We thought you'd stay in England."

"Well, like I said, surprise!" Giles smiled again, looking down at them. "Besides, I couldn't possibly have stayed there when I knew there were two of my favourite people who needed cheering up."

"Hmm?" Willow asked, looking up at him with sad eyes.

"Giles is right." Dawn said, wandering into the room and smiling at the Englishman. "You can't be sad on Christmas."

"Absolutely not." Faith said, appearing in the doorway suddenly, her arms folded across her chest. "We won't stand for it."

"Faith." Xander said, looking a little red eyed and bed head-y. "What are you doing here?"

"I came for Christmas you big goof!" She smiled, playfully tapping the back of his head.

* * *

"Hey B." Faith smiled at her secret girlfriend as she crossed the room to greet her.

"Hey Faith." She said, smiling sheepishly. "Good to have you back again."

"Ok," Willow said, raising an eyebrow. "You two. Spill. What's going on here?" She looked from one to the other as they stared at each other, unsure of where to start.

"Well…" Buffy started.

"Since the Final Battle, we've kinda been seein' each other." Faith admitted.

Almost synchronised, Xander and Willow's faces fell, though to their credit, they did try to smile.

"That's great." Xander said, remembering how happy he and Anya had been when they'd first started going out and how he could see that same immense happiness now, suppressed in both the slayers.

"Yeah. We're happy for you." Willow said, only just managing a smile. It made her think of Tara, and how she wasn't here…

"Just..."

"It's not the best time to tell ya. I know I'm sorry. We would've held off a while longer, only that Red here…" She said, playfully nudging Willow.

"I'm glad the secrets out though." Buffy whispered in Faith's ear. "It means I don't have to hide it."

"But we still gotta suppress it some."

"Only till Santa comes!" Buffy whispered back excitedly.

* * *

"I'm gonna head up to bed." Willow said, yawning.

"Sounds like a good idea. Mind if I join you Will?" Xander asked, heading for the stairs.

"Not at all." Willow said.

"Alright then." Buffy said. "Night you two, sweet dreams."

"Better get to sleep early or Santa won't come." Faith said with a laugh.

At that, Willow and Xander turned back to look at them on the stair.

"Not to ruin the mood or anything, but ah aren't we a little old for Santa?" Willow asked, raising a suspicious eyebrow.

Dawn shook her head, waving a hand in the air. "You're never too old for Santa!"

"You never know what tomorrow will bring." Giles agreed. "Best rest up. Christmas is always a big day."

* * *

As they'd planned, Faith and Buffy were the last ones still up that night and together, they called for the Powers That Be. First, Buffy made her wish.

"I wish to resurrect Anya Jenkins." At once, Anya was at Buffy's side, in between her and Faith, and she made a move to speak, but Faith was ready for her and covered her mouth with her hand just as quick.

When Buffy turned back, Faith put a hand to her lips before moving her other hand away from Anya's mouth. "Now, listen to me Anya. No talkin' till I'm done ok?" She said, and a little scared of the dark slayer, Anya nodded.

"Right, now, it's the first Christmas since the battle."

"Christmas Eve technically." Buffy cut in.

"Yeah, and you're Xander's gift from Santa, so, we need you to hide out tonight, where we tell ya, then in the morning, we, or Santa, more accurately, will send Xander on a treasure hunt to find you."

"You." Anya started a little too loud and Faith covered her mouth again before she could say anymore.

"Ssh! We don't want 'em to hear ya!" Faith said in a harsh, urgent whisper.

Anya folded her arms, giving Faith a death glare of sorts. "You seriously expect me to sleep in a cupboard all night? How am I supposed to manage that?"

"Not exactly." Buffy said. "Think of it like a little camp out. We'll give you a sleeping bag, come on." She said, leading a reluctant, unsure, slightly angered Anya away.

* * *

Faith stepped forward. It was her turn now and a smile escaped her lips as she thought about what she was going to do.

"I wish to resurrect Tara Maclay." Just as had happened with Anya, Tara instantly appeared by Faith's side and she looked wide eyed at Faith.

"It's ok Tara." She said in a gentle whisper, knowing Tara would be a lot calmer than Anya would ever be capable of, "it's the first Christmas Eve since the battle. You're gonna be Willow's gift from Santa. Is that cool?" Tara nodded, the small smile that spread across her lips growing wider as Faith explained their plan.

* * *

Meanwhile upstairs, despite their friend's well wishes, both Xander and Willow were having nightmares. Xander was again reliving the horror of when his tight, determined grip on Anya's arm had slipped and she'd fallen to her death. Though he heard her screaming up at him as she fell.

"Xander!"

* * *

Willow saw her magical shield release just a moment too late and Tara fall. Like she was a ghost, watching the scene play out again, Willow saw herself rush to catch Tara before her barely alive body hit the ground. Again, she relived the torture of Tara managing to cling onto life only long enough to say four, final words.

"I love you Willow."

* * *

Xander opened his hazel eyes, blinking several times as his eyes attempted to focus, then several more times, not believing what he saw. A note sat on the table beside him. "What the…" He said out aloud, picking the note up. 'Merry Christmas Xander. I've left you a surprise, but you'll have to find it. Follow my instructions and you should have no trouble,

Santa'

Out of curiosity more than anything else, Xander had flipped over to the next page, where sure enough, there were a list of instructions for him to follow. Under the notion 'what the heck, why not? I don't care if I look stupid', Xander followed the instructions anyway, shrugging his shoulders.

Santa's instructions led him to a tree outside, under which was a tent, just like the note had said he'd find. The final instruction was to unzip the tent and so, getting down on his hands and knees, he unzipped the tent, stopping dead at what he saw inside.

* * *

Willow woke up, slowly opening her eyes to see the golden glow of the sun streaming through her window, the sky a cloudless blue.

"Just as beautiful as Tara always was." She mused, rolling over to look at the picture of her and Tara that sat on her bedside table. "Morning Beautiful." She said, a tear trickling down her cheek. "Wish you were here."

It was then that she noticed the folded up piece of paper beside the picture. She picked it up and read the note.

'Merry Christmas Willow, I've left you something I hope will make your Christmas all the more merry, though finding it will be a game. Just follow my instructions, and you'll be there in no time,

Santa'

"Oh what the hey." Willow said, getting up, "nothing to lose." She flipped the note to reveal the instructions that sure enough, were there, just as Santa had said they'd be. "Might be a bit of fun." She said optimistically as she wandered along, going here, then there, then back over there.

Finally, Willow came to the final set of instructions, which led her upstairs to the attic. The instructions Santa had left told her to climb up and push the roof back, see what was there, so she did. Slowly, she climbed up and when she reached the little roof she pushed it back, shaking her head vigorously. No way. This wasn't possible. It couldn't be. But then, the tears fell as she realised, it was.

* * *

"Well, I'm glad I followed 'em." Xander said, smiling for the first time in months.

"You let me go." Anya said accusingly, her arms folded and an irresistible, well, to Xander at least, pout on her face.

"I know, I'm sorry Ahn. I couldn't help it. I'm sorry."

"You could have held on tighter." Anya said.

"Then you would have complained that I was hurting your arm." Xander said.

"But I wouldn't have _died_." She said.

"Either way, I don't care." Xander said, pulling her into his arms. "You're here now, alive. We're together and that's all that matters." He said, kissing her forehead before he rested his chin on the top of her head.

* * *

"Tara?" Willow asked disbelievingly through the tears. Tara crawled over and started to pull Willow up and into the attic with her, so she didn't fall down. She settled back on the floor, holding a crying Willow in her arms.

"I'm here Sweetie." She said. "I'm here."

"It's really you." Willow said, blinking the tears away and looking into Tara's beautiful blue eyes.

"It's really me." Tara echoed, meeting her lips.

"I love you Tara," Willow said, not willing to let her eyes stray from Tara's for even a second, "I never got to say that. I love you too."

"Well Sweetie, you can say it a thousand more times, cause I'm not leaving you again."

"Good." Willow said, hugging Tara tight. "Because I don't want you to."

* * *

Both Xander and Willow looked from Faith to Buffy and back again.

"What did you.." Willow started.

"do?" Xander asked, still a little disbelieving of the body he held close in his arm.

Buffy and Faith shrugged, looking at each other, then back at their friends.

"I don't know Hon." Faith said. "What do you think?"

"Santa." Buffy said with a smile. "Christmas magic."

"Definitely." Dawn agreed happily.

"I'm just glad to see you happy again."

"All happy and just in time for what should be the merriest day of the year." Giles said, coming to stand behind Dawn.

"Only, we're kinda without…" Dawn trailed off, looking at Xander, with his arm around Anya holding her close, Willow and Tara, their arms both around one another's waists and finally, Faith, with her arm casual though certainly protective round Buffy's shoulders.

"It doesn't matter." Giles said, putting his hands on Dawn's shoulders and pulling her gently back into him. She looked up at the Englishman. "It's not like we haven't got _anybody_."

"You're too young anyway." Buffy said.

"It took me a long time to find Willow sweetie." Tara pointed out.

"It'll happen." Xander said with a smile that made Dawn's insides melt. Somewhere inside her, there was still a small part of her that had a heavy, hopeless crush on him.

"It did for us." All three couples said at once.

* * *

**I'm taking a break for the holidays. Merry Christmas & Happy New Year everyone! I'll be back on the 7th. **


End file.
